Andy Dalton ranked 24th best QB entering 2018

It’s almost impossible to rank Andy Dalton among the top quarterbacks in the NFL

Dalton’s reliance on talent around him but sheer ability to take care of the football and put up numbers when the surroundings are right makes him a tough call.

Steven Ruiz of For The Win grades Dalton as the 24th-best quarterback:

Remember when we were worried about a quarterback crisis in the NFL? Yeah, that can officially be put to rest when quarterbacks as solid as Andy Dalton are coming in this low. As the Bengals quarterback enter his 30s, his game hasn’t really evolved much since the early days of his career. He’s a bit more accurate, but he still has trouble adjusting to defenses shifting after the snap. When Dalton’s pre-snap read is correct, he looks like a top-15 quarterback. When it’s not, and he’s forced to go to his second and third options in the pocket, things start to break down.

The fact “the Dalton line” is a thing that exists suggests this ranking isn’t too out of line. But it’s also interesting to see unprovens like Mitchell Trubisky or other middle-of-the-road starters like Jared Goff and Ryan Tannehill ranked ahead of him.

But should Dalton thrive in what seems to be a solid surroundings once again in 2018, he’s going to rise back up lists like this. It also creates an interesting situation with his next contract coming up.